Playbooks · 3 min read

How to read your first audience report

What free vs paid, opens, and sample addresses should change in next week's send.

The Substack studio report is a one-page truth serum. Use it before you optimize subject lines.

Free vs paid

If paid is under 5% but your content is written for buyers, the offer — not the writing — is the bottleneck.

Opens

Addresses with opens are your living list. Resolve them first; they burn fewer enrichment credits per insight.

Next send

  • Write one issue aimed at the paid/core pocket
  • Suppress or re-permission the never-opened cohort
  • Schedule a lookalike pass on champions only

Run this on your own list.